Gloria Sillonis

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Gloria Sillonis

Gloria V. Yrazabal Sillonis, 89, of Mountain home, died at a local hospital on Dec.16, 2008, following a short illness.

A funeral mass was held Friday, Dec. 19, at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Mountain Home. Interment followed at Mountain View Cemetery. Arrangements were under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel, in Mountain Home.

Gloria Yrazabal was born Sept. 18, 1919, to Agustin Yrazabal and Francisca Muguira Yrazabal, at home, in Mountain Home. She joined her older sister, Eugenia (Jean), and the two of them were followed by Josefina (Jo) in 1924 and Rafael (Ralph) in 1928.

She attended schools in Mountain Home. In 1938, Gloria graduated from Mountain Home High School. She later moved to Boise to attend beauty school at Hollywood Barber and Beauty School. After completing her training, she moved to the front of the school as a practicing professional.

Gloria was married to Allen Harmon and later divorced.

"Glor," as she was known to many, lived in Gooding and operated a beauty shop there for a couple of years. She returned to Mountain Home and again opened her own shop in her home, Gloria's Beauty Salon. In the early 1970s she opened Gloria's Beauty Manor downtown, where several beauticians worked for and with her. During that time, she began dating a long-time friend, John "Chuck" Sillonis. They were married March 15, 1975.

When she "retired," she again set up a shop in her home where she had a few clients and "lots of relatives. She gave countless perms and haircuts to family members until eight years ago," her family said.

Although Gloria was not blessed with children of her own, "her many nieces and nephews were blessed to have 'Tia' in their lives," her family said. "Tia Glor introduced them to 'going to the cabin' in Featherville where all of them, and then their children, and now their children's children, still gather, especially on Labor Day.

"She and Chuck started a family tradition of hosting family and friends on that day for lamb chops, red bean soup and many additional family favorites. The tradition continued and she made her last trip to Featherville for that occasion this past September.

"Many people who were not related called her Tia Glor, much to her delight," her family added. "She will always be remembered as a good cook and homemaker, hairdresser, but mostly as Tia who loved family around her, but especially the babies. If babies were around, Tia would be holding them and rocking them to sleep.

"Tia survived, with much laughter, all of the pranks the first ten nieces and nephews constantly played on her."

Tia Glor is survived by: her sisters, Jean Lasuen and Jo Knox of Mountain Home; sisters-in-law Ramona Yrazabal of Mountain Home, Lydia Jausoro of Boise, Sylvia Sillonis of Pomeroy, Wash.; brother-in-law Rich Sillonis of Glenns Ferry; and numerous nieces and nephews, grand nieces and nephews, and great-grand nieces and nephews. She also leaves behind two special friends, Paula Anchustegui and Diane Morris, her family said.

She was preceded in death by: her brother, Ralph; her husband, Chuck; brothers-in-law Victor Lasuen, Dale Knox, Robert and Julio Sillonis, and Louis Jausoro.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Euskal Lagunak Building Fund, P.O. Box 88, Mtn Home, ID 83647.